Maharashtra: Thane police busts interstate drug gang

Police have busted an interstate gang, which had allegedly planned to set up a mephedrone manufacturing unit in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district and arrested seven persons, an official said.

Based on a tip-off, officials from the Anti-Narcotics Cell of the crime branch had initially arrested two accused from Azadnagar and Kolshet areas of Thane city and seized mephedrone worth Rs 2.52 lakh from them, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Shivraj Patil.

In the ensuing probe, the police zeroed in on five more accused, he said. The gang had in October 2022 planned to set up a mephedrone manufacturing unit in Lote MIDC in Khed, but later established the factory in Telangana, which was raided by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), the official said.

The members of the gang were from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Telangana and Maharashtra, it was stated. The police have seized accessories and equipment used in manufacturing of the drug and recovered 117 gm of mephedrone worth Rs 4.68 lakh from the accused, the official said.

Of the 12 persons who are part of the gang, three are in the custody of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, two are absconding and seven have been arrested by the ANC, senior inspector Sanjay Shinde said.